So This Is Humanity
by CharryWotter
Summary: What if, when Cas lost his grace, instead of hunting him, Bart decided to let human Castiel starve to death? Cas doesn't know how to keep himself alive, so he will pay for what he did. But the angels have underestimated the kindness of humans. Will Castiel be saved before he dies? AU, Spoilers for Season 8. Human!Cas
1. The Fall

This story takes place in the beginning of Season 9. There are small spoilers from Season 8.

…

Castiel knew nothing.

As he sat on the bench and thought, he quickly amended the incorrect statement.

Cas still knew what he had known before. He had all of his memories and he still understood the knowledge of the world. He knew about humans and how they all lived.

But Castiel did not know how to be a human.

And that was exactly what he was.

Cas could still remember the moment he realized Metatron had betrayed him. It had stung, but not as bad as losing his grace had. Now, instead of watching the humans from above, he was one of them below.

Castiel couldn't understand how humans coped. At the moment, he _felt._ His head was hurting, his eyes were drooping, his stomach was protesting. He felt a million things at once and he didn't know what to do to make it all better. Human bodies apparently needed a lot of help to survive.

Speaking of humans, one was approaching him where he sat in the middle of the park. "Hey," the adult male asked Castiel. "You okay?"

Cas looked down at his torn and bloodstained clothes. "I could use some help," he admitted, finally looking up to where the man was sitting next to him.

"I'm Michael," the man said, and Castiel could not stop the shiver that ran through his body at the name.

"Castiel," he replied. "I'm an angel of the Lord, and I have fallen."

Michael shifted away from him, and Cas could not understand why. "Yeah, alright," Michael finally said, but he did not look like he'd accepted Castiel's words. "Well, I have somewhere to be, so here." He quickly pulled out a piece of paper and scribbled an address on it, handing it to Castiel. "That's where you'll find the hospital. Good luck, man."

Castiel watched Michael leave with confusion in his eyes. "What did I do?"

Being a human was harder than he'd expected.

That night, as Castiel sat up against a tree in a secluded area of the park, the angel radio was particularly loud.

 _"—astiel,"_ Bartholomew was saying, " _is trouble. We need to find him and kill him."_

 _"No,"_ responded Malachi. _"That will only waste angelic resources. I say we let him die on his_ own. He's human now, is he not?"

Bartholomew sounded suspicious. _"How can I be sure you are not working with him? Castiel used to be powerful, and we are on different sides in this upcoming war."_

 _"I may be using somewhat unorthodox methods,"_ Malachi stated angrily in Enochian, " _but not even I would stoop that low."_

 _"Fine. He will die as a human. It may take a few days, but I am sure starvation, dehydration, and lack of blood will end his life as well as torture him in his final hours."_

 _"So no sending in angels or anyone else?"_ Malachi confirmed.

Bartholomew's answer was clipped. " _Correct."_

When sleep overtook Castiel, his hands were over his ears.

….

In the morning, Castiel set out. He was determined to prove his brothers wrong, and to do that, he had to act like all the other humans.

Seeing that people were giving him concerned stares, Castiel decided to begin with getting new clothes. Cas stepped into one such store and was surprised to find "Dressing rooms" at the back.

When humans got clothes, Castiel reasoned, it only made sense that they put them on and wore them out. Cas decided to do the same.

Picking out a fresh t-shirt and jeans, Castiel noticed a trench coat similar to his own hanging on a hanger. He grabbed that as well and stood in line for the dressing rooms.

…

Ten minutes later, when Castiel stepped out of the store, his clothes no longer elicited strange looks.

But now other human needs were calling. He was hungry, thirsty, and his head was hurting still.

As Castiel walked down the street, he noticed there were hungry people asking for spare change or food. _When I was an angel, I could have helped them._ It hurt Cas to walk right past them as if they didn't exist, so he picked up his pace and turned into the nearest alley.

The alley was deserted, save for trash bins. Knowing that humans sometimes discarded unwanted food, Castiel hurried to check them, but they must have just been emptied, for nothing was inside.

Cas did manage to find a half empty water bottle wedged between one of the bins and the building it was up against, and he quickly drained it.

Feeling slightly better but still ravenous, Castiel sank to the ground and sat, staring up at the blue sky. "Please, brothers, do not do this. Kill me if you must, but not in this way." There was no response, but Cas figured one of the angels had heard his call.

Castiel couldn't understand how everything had gone so wrong. Just hours ago, he'd been one of the luckier beings, with power and everything he needed. Now he was human and no angels were in heaven. "Oh, father," Cas called out in anguish. "Why do you no longer care?"

When there was no response once again, Cas put his face in his hands and sobbed.

He had no way of knowing that he was being watched.

…

Rosie had a quiet life, running her bakery and living above it. She was alone, except for a dog, but her dog was the only companion she needed.

Rosie was very grateful for her situation; the bakery and dog were her dreams for adulthood fulfilled. Feeling thankful, Rosie often helped others so they could get closer to their own dreams.

Usually, at the end of the day, Rosie would walk up and down her street passing out free baked goods leftover from the bakery. It was sad seeing how many homeless people there were, but their grateful faces lit up her day.

Rosie loved making a difference.

So one morning, when she was tidying up her small apartment and she looked out the window, Rosie knew she had to help the man below.

She didn't know who he was, but by his grimace, he was in pain. And when he looked through her trash bins and guzzled the grimy water bottle, Rosie figured he was homeless.

Normally, Rosie would let someone like that be and go back to cleaning, or baking, or whatever she was doing when she first saw them. She didn't mind people taking from her trash bins or sleeping in the alley as long as they weren't dangerous.

Rosie would just let them do their thing, and then offer them bread later that afternoon.

But there was something different about this man.

So from her window, Rosie watched as he looked up hopelessly and shouted at the sky, and then began crying.

Rosie promised herself right then and there that she would help whoever that man was.

No matter the cost.

…

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	2. Snow

Thank you for favoriting and following this story! I hope you enjoy this next chapter!

…

In the afternoon, once Rosie had handed out all but one loaf of bread, she made sure to head down the alley next to her bakery.

As expected, the man was still there, sitting against the wall looking up at the sky.

Rosie approached slowly. "Hi," she said, startling him out of his reverie. "I'm Rosie."

The man looked Rosie directly in the eyes. His eyes were a startling blue, and they contained a great sadness and pain. "Ca—Clarence," he said after a pause.

"Well, Clarence, today's your lucky day." Rosie smiled as she held up the loaf. "You want this? I baked it myself."

Clarence looked down at himself and rubbed his stomach. "Yes, I suppose so," he answered in his gravelly voice. "Do humans…we…always get hungry like this?"

Rosie wrinkled her brow. Clarence maybe wasn't completely right in the head…But she didn't like that thought. No, it must be that Clarence was new at not eating every meal. He had probably hit hard times, and here he was.

So Rosie thrust away her doubts and put on a confident smile, handing over the food. "If you're planning to be here tomorrow, I'll be back with another," Rosie promised.

Clarence looked up at the sky again and sighed. "Yes, I'll be here."

…

As his second day of being a human came to a close, Castiel felt a strange mix of emotions, which, he supposed, was only human.

Cas was very thankful for the bread Rosie had given him, and he was glad he hadn't scared her away.

However, Castiel felt nostalgic, especially when he heard the name Clarence. The last time someone had called him that…

Cas didn't want to think about it.

Instead, he ate half of the bread and fell into an uneasy sleep.

…...

It became a routine in their lives—Clarence would sit in the alley and Rosie would provide him with bread.

After the first week, when Rosie noticed Clarence didn't leave except for short periods of time each day and her bread seemed to be the only food he was eating, judging by how much weight he'd lost, she began handing him not just bread, but peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

Rosie wished she could do more for Clarence, but she knew if he really needed help he'd ask. She didn't want to break their comfortable bond by digging into touchy subjects.

Still, it hurt to know that whenever she went to bed at night, Clarence was sleeping in the street a couple meters from her.

It wasn't like that with the other homeless people. They all had been wronged by life, but by now they could cope.

Clarence could not cope.

Once, when Rosie saw Clarence leave the alley, she surreptitiously followed him.

Apparently, when Clarence left the spot, it was only to freshen up in the public restroom at the park. Then he returned to his nook between the garbage bins.

Sometimes when Rosie walked by her window she'd peer out, and Clarence would always be in the same position. He never tired of thinking, it seemed; Clarence wouldn't move for hours and even with the most menial objects he never got bored.

Whenever Rosie visited, she tried to make a small conversation with Clarence, knowing how hard it must be to have no human interaction.

Clarence was always very polite, but he clammed up whenever it came to discussing the past.

All Rosie knew was that two friends of his were looking for him, but Clarence wouldn't disclose their names and he didn't explain why he didn't want to be found.

As the days shortened and the temperatures dropped, Rosie couldn't help but hurt at the pathetic way Clarence would shiver. When the first snow fell, Rosie went out to deliver his sandwich bundled up in a coat.

"First time seeing snow?" Rosie asked, seeing the way Clarence was staring amazedly at the sky.

"No," Clarence replied, keeping his eyes turned upward. "I've seen it many times, but never from this perspective."

By now, Rosie knew not to look into comments like that too much. Clarence wasn't delusional, he was actually very smart, but many things he said didn't make sense.

Rubbing her hands together, Rosie couldn't wait to hurry back inside, and she wondered how Clarence could stand the weather with only a shabby trenchcoat.

"Hey," Rosie said before she could change her mind. "You want to spend the night at my place? To get out of this cold."

Clarence looked over to her cheerfully lit bakery with a yearning. "I couldn't. That's fine."

"Oh, come on," Rosie took his hand, which was freezing. "You'll freeze to death out here."

Clarence turned with a startled expression on his face. "It's that easy? To die of cold?"

Rosie felt uncomfortable, and tugged on his hand, bringing him over to the bakery. "I guess. Either way, you'll be more comfortable in here."

"Thank you," Clarence responded as he felt the heat of the room seep over him. "You are very considerate."

A slow blush crept into Rosie's cheeks. "Don't mention it."

She then ushered him upstairs, showing him into the guest room which contained a bed and a desk. "You can sleep here."

"Once again," Clarence said, "Thank you."

"No problem," Rosie said calmly.

Inside, she was very excited. Rosie felt her life was about to get way more interesting.

…

Castiel couldn't stop marveling about how kind humans could be.

From heaven's perspective, it was a world full of treachery, materialism, and misfortune, but the few people he came across seemed to go out of their way to help.

Rosie was one of those people.

As he began his nightly ritual of praying (not that God ever answered), Castiel thought of Dean and Sam. He knew they'd be only too happy to have him on their team, but it was not right. Cas would be more of a hindrance, and his brothers might get angry with the Winchesters if they helped him survive.

Castiel did want to survive, but not at the price of his best friends.

Speaking of friends, Rosie was now one of his. Castiel loved their talks every evening, and he knew that his human body would not get nearly enough nourishment to survive without her.

Even with a sandwich a day, Castiel's stomach complained. He couldn't comprehend the pounds of food it must take a human to survive with enough each and every day.

But Castiel didn't want to dwell on human feelings; he was hungry and aching enough as it was.

Instead, Castiel snuggled up under the covers and fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.

…


	3. Heaven

Thanks to deadone1013 for reviewing!

…

In the morning, it took Castiel a moment to remember where he was. The disorientation that came with wakefulness was one of the worse parts of humanity, he thought, as his predicament fell over him.

"Why?" Castiel asked, and to his surprise, someone answered.

"There's no easy answer to that," Rosie said, walking into his room. "I've learned it best not to ask."

Cas looked around; at the beautiful decorations of the room; at Rosie's fresh new outfit; at the plush pillows on her spare bed. "You have everything figured out," he commented. "How?"

Rosie shrugged, knowing it was an honest question. "I got lucky." She laughed. "I guess that's the only thing going for people anymore. Not even hard work seems to do anything."

Castiel felt a new emotion seep into him, and he identified it as pity. Pity for humanity in general. Pity for himself. "Where I come from, there is no suffering—besides the punished—and everyone works hard. I used to think it was the best way. But now," he paused, "I see that free will is better than security."

…

Rosie didn't know where Clarence was planning to take the conversation (she never did), but she found herself intrigued.

So back where Clarence was, he was probably some kind of maid or servant.

Rosie sat on the bed next to him and pretended to not hear how loudly his stomach growled; she wanted to feed him but learning about his past was a rarity.

"Where are you from?" she asked, looking into his eyes.

For once, it was Clarence who first looked away. "Heaven. At least I thought," he amended.

"Why'd you think that?" Rosie made sure she didn't sound too eager to hear Clarence's answer. Maybe learning his past would help her make his life better. Or maybe she just wanted her curiosity sated.

Clarence paused, and his expression revealed a deep pain. "It was the only way I'd ever known."

"Did you have a reason for leaving?"

"I did not choose to leave." Clarence stood up abruptly. "I was forced out and left to die." With that, he left the room.

Rosie stared after him, mind racing.

Did Clarence like where he was from, or not? It sounded like he'd believed the place was perfect, and realized that it wasn't. At the same time, though, he apparently had no choice about leaving and wanted to go back.

Rosie had to learn more.

…

At breakfast, Rosie tentatively brought up the conversation again. "Your friends—I didn't catch their names—are welcome here, if you want."

To her delight, Clarence was more willing to talk than usual. It must have something to do with the good night's sleep and full meal, since he looked refreshed and happier than normal as well.

"Their names," he said in a scratchy voice, "Are Sam and Dean. And I don't want them over."

"Why not?" Rosie asked tentatively, sipping her coffee. "Didn't you say they were looking for you? They are your friends, and are probably worried about you." A thought occurred to her. "What if they called you in as 'Missing' to the police?"

Clarence sighed deeply. "They would not go to the police, and I am sure they know I am avoiding them. It's just…"

"What is it?" Rosie prodded when it was clear Clarence wasn't going to finish his sentence.

"I don't want to endanger them." Once again, Clarence didn't seem to want to look Rosie in the eyes.

Looking at Clarence's malnourished, grimy form, Rosie figured that Clarence was hurting himself more than his friends would get hurt if they found him. At the same time, she didn't want Clarence running off, so she decided not to push the issue. "Well, if you change your mind, just tell me. They're cool to come over."

"Thank you," Clarence said, finally looking at Rosie. "I will never get used to your kindness."

Sometimes Clarence's offhand comments went straight to Rosie's heart. He was so direct, in a way that revealed more about him than his explanations about his hometown did.

Obviously Clarence had not grown up in a good environment.

Right there, at the breakfast table, Rosie made a promise to herself: Clarence was not going back out on the streets.

Not if she had anything to say about it

…

Sorry that this chapter's so short!

I'll try to update soon!

And please, Review!


	4. Nightmare

Thank you for reading this right now! Please review!

deadone1013: That part was so sad; I totally agree! It's awesome that you enjoy this, and your English is great! :)

…

After lunch, Cas decided he had to leave Rosie's and retire to his alleyway.

It wasn't that he was bored watching her bake; it was that Castiel didn't want to use up too many of her resources. He'd borrowed enough as it was, and he knew he would always be indebted to Rosie.

So Castiel stood up. "I must leave now."

Rosie paused where she was kneading the dough for her next loaf of bread and turned to Castiel. She didn't look surprised. In fact, she looked as though she'd been expecting his announcement.

"You can't leave, Clarence," she said wiping her hand and sitting besides Cas at the wooden table. "It's not safe out there."

Castiel glanced outside where the snowstorm had turned to a gritty rain and hailstorm. "Believe me, I know that better than anyone. But I can't impose myself."

"It's not imposing yourself." Rosie stared at Castiel, and he read some sort of desperation in her expression. "Come with me."

Castiel followed her upstairs, where they stopped at the window that looked out onto the main street.

"Look," Rosie instructed.

Castiel peered through the sleet outside. "What is it?"

Rosie placed her hand on the cold glass. "The people who normally stand outside. They aren't there."

"And?" Castiel asked curiously. Had his brothers killed anyone? He shivered, and not from the cold.

"And," Rosie sighed and brought Cas back downstairs, "And they left because of this weather. You can't survive out there."

"I'll manage," Cas began, but he stopped at Rosie's incredulous glance. "It's just," Castiel paused, "This is all new to me. I've never been quite so…breakable. You wouldn't understand."

Rosie smiled sadly. "I know. But I can't let you go out there. For now, just stay with me. It's no bother at all."

And so Cas stayed.

….

That night, while Castiel was unconscious, an Enochian conversation broke through the haze of his dream.

 _"I'm worried."_ Malachi was the speaker, and being asleep, Cas imagined the voice coming from Malachi's vessel. _"The Winchesters are getting closer. What if they find him?"_

As Bart answered, his vessel also appeared in Castiel's dream. _"If Castiel doesn't want to be found, I doubt mere humans could find him."_

 _"But the Winchesters aren't mere humans, and Castiel is. They might save him!"_

Bartholemew's voice rose angrily. _"If they find him, we can easily kill them. Until then, let's wait. Rash decisions won't help anything."_

Still trapped in the murky dreamworld, Castiel found clouds rolling in. Bart's and Malachi's vessels disappeared, and in their place were Sam and Dean.

They were walking towards Castiel, but he knew (as you often do in dreams) that they would die if they reached him.

"Sam! Dean! Stay back!" Cas called, but the brothers either didn't hear him or simply didn't care.

When Sam and Dean reached Castiel, he was forced to watch as his own hands slit their throats. "No!" Castiel called out, but his voice was lost to the wind.

…

In the middle of the night, Rosie was jolted out of her sleep by a hoarse shout. She just made out the word "—back!"

Quickly, Rosie jumped out of her bed and ran into the guest room, where Clarence was, as she'd expected, having a bad dream.

He was thrashing around and calling out. The blankets from the bed were lying in a heap on the ground, and Clarence was soaked with sweat.

"Clarence!" Rosie shook his arm, trying to ignore how painfully thin it was. "Wake up!"

The man didn't appear to be awakening soon, however.

Rosie sat next to the man. "Clarence!" she called sharply, and he woke at that.

"Meg? You're alive?" He blearily looked around.

Rosie felt a pang in her chest. "No, it's Rosie. Remember me?"

Clarence pushed his sweaty hair off his face and sat up next to her. "Yes." He looked down at himself. "I am truly sorry for the inconvenience. I will be alright now. Thank you."

"I'm not going," Rosie said in a soft tone. "Don't you want to discuss this?"

Clarence furrowed his brow. "Discuss it?"

"It might help to share your bad dream. Get it off your chest," Rosie explained, trying to keep her voice free of pity for him.

"I don't know where to start," Clarence said. He twisted his hands together nervously.

"Was it…about Meg?" Rosie asked, treading cautiously.

"No," Clarence answered unhappily. "I only thought you were Meg because she was the only one who called me 'Clarence'."

"Oh." Rosie didn't know how to feel at that. Had Clarence—or whoever he was—been lying to her the whole time? Or was it just a special nickname? She pushed away her thoughts and turned to the matter at hand: Clarence's dream. "Who was in your dream?"

"The friends I was telling you about. Sam and Dean."

Just then, a strange expression fell onto Clarence's face. He slipped off the bed and covered his ears with his hands.

"Stop it," Clarence muttered, and Rosie truly feared for his sanity. "Not Theo. You know not what you're doing."

"Clarence?" Rosie asked, scared to do anything. She couldn't tell if the homeless man was hallucinating or having a migraine.

Finally, after what seemed like forever but was probably only three minutes, Clarence straightened up and looked at the ceiling with a devastated expression.

…

Castiel couldn't believe what his angel radio revealed—at four in the morning, he realized, checking his watch.

Having a knack for picking up Enochian sound waves, Cas had stumbled upon a private conversation between Malachi and Theo, another angel, while he was trying to talk to Rosie.

Apparently, Theo was torturing and killing angels for Malachi, and they were planning to put Bart out of power.

Castiel had known Theo before the fall, and the angel had been sweet and eager to carry out God's work.

Now, it seemed, he had lost sight of the true path.

And his next targets besides Bart and his followers were Sam and Dean.

Castiel had to stay hidden.

There was no other way.

…

Sorry for the cliffhanger!

I may not be able to update too fast—finals are pretty soon so I might be studying. Don't worry, though! I'll be back in at least two weeks!


	5. Explanation

Thank you for your review, deadone1013! It gave me the motivation to squeeze in another chapter :D

Enjoy!

…

Rosie had no idea what to do as she sat on Clarence's bed. Had she invited some crazy, delusioned, _dangerous_ man into her life?

That explained why Clarence thought his friends would be in trouble. He was paranoid. That was probably why he'd been kicked out of his previous home or job.

Maybe Meg's death had done this to him.

And suddenly Rosie felt a burning curiosity. Who was Meg? And how had she died?

"Clarence?" she asked, watching the homeless man as he sat on the floor with a horrified expression. "Are you okay?"

…

As Castiel looked over at Rosie, he knew he had to play off the incident or she'd never let him stay. And now, Rosie's bakery was the only reason Dean and Sam couldn't easily track him down.

"I'm sorry," he finally said, casting around for an excuse. "Sometimes the….memories….of my brothers overwhelm me. I really am fine, however."

"You don't look fine," Rosie worriedly answered, and Castiel was gratified to see that she'd believed his excuse. "You really should talk about this."

 _I should have found an excuse that made me seem mentally whole,_ Cas reflected. He sighed, knowing Rosie needed an explanation.

"Alright," he said at last, rubbing his aching temples. He would used his humanity. He could lie—or at least, bend the truth. "I used to live with my brothers and sisters. There were very many of us. We got angry from the close proximity. One of them…Meta…he knew it was going to get messy fast."

"Messy?" Rosie asked, eyes wide.

"Yes," Cas confirmed. "Very, very messy."

…

Rosie was intrigued by Clarence's openness. She wouldn't let the early hours interfere with his confession, so Rosie bit back a yawn and listened intently.

"Very, very messy," Clarence continued. "Violently so. Meta came to me, claiming to know a way to fix the unrest. Believing it was the right thing, I helped. In the end, Meta betrayed me and…cast me out. He then proceeded to declare himself the…new father, in a way of saying. The brothers and sisters he didn't like were also cast out, though they still got to keep their…money."

Rosie couldn't believe what she was hearing. Meta seemed like a dictator—over his own family. How could Clarence live like that?

Clarence opened his mouth again. "Now, two of my brothers, Bart and Malachi, know of the horrible conditions I've been living in. They think I was working with Meta to push them out, so they are getting revenge by hoping I'll just die on the streets."

"Why don't you want your friends to find you, then?" Rosie asked. If Clarence's brothers were going to let him die, what would happen if he simply didn't?

Clarence sighed. "Malachi and another angel are watching Sam and Dean. If they come to help me, Theo will kill them."

"Did you say angel?"

Clarence coughed uncomfortably. "My big brother, Michael…used to, uh, call us his angels. I guess it stuck."

Rosie put a hand on his shoulder. "Well, I won't let you die. You should stay here." Now that she knew Clarence had a reason for his predicament and nightmares and flashbacks, a resolve replaced her momentary panic.

 _Wasn't this what I was secretly hoping for? Someone who I could help more than usual? A purpose?_

The sound of Clarence's stomach growling jolted her out of her thoughts. "Let's go get breakfast," she offered, "seeing as we won't be falling asleep anytime soon."

"That sounds like a plan." Clarence smiled, hope sparking in his eyes.

…

Sam placed his hand on his brother's shoulder as they walked up the street. "Are you sure we shouldn't turn in? It's already like five in the morning, and we aren't making any progress."

However, his pleas fell onto deaf ears as Dean continued walking down the street. "I'm not leaving without Cas, even if we have to carry him, kicking and screaming, to the bunker."

Sam smiled bemusedly at his brother's determination to find their angel. Dean and Cas shared a bond, and one without the other was unthinkable.

Of course, Castiel was most likely missing his wings and who knew what else, but they had to believe he wasn't dead.

Also, when Sam and Dean had asked around at the park near where they were, a guy, Michael, had told them of seeing a man covered in blood sitting on the bench.

As they passed a bakery, its warm glow called to Sam. "Can we at least stop for breakfast? We won't get anywhere running on empty."

Dean stopped walking and turned around. He shrugged. "I don't know what place would be open at this godforsaken hour in the morning, but you know me. I'm always open to food!"

"That place right there," Sam pointed.

"That bakery isn't open," Dean argued. "The people who live there are just having breakfast. See?" He pointed to the sign outside, which read 'Closed.'

Sam sighed disappointedly. "Fine," he raised his hands. "You're right. I was looking forward to some food, though."

Dean looked into the sky as if his angel would be there. He sighed. "Let's just keep looking, then."

As Sam took one last wistful look at the bakery, he glanced the man who sat inside. A chill ran up his back.

"Dean, stop," he said, gulping.

Dean turned. "I already told you, it's closed!" Then he too caught sight of the man behind the glass. The color drained out of his face.

Sam ran a hand through his hair and laughed ironically. "We found Cas."

…

I hope you liked this chapter! Things are definitely heating up!

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	6. Special Agents

Thanks for the reviews! I'm back, and will hopefully update faster now! :D

deadone1013: I'm so happy you liked the chapter! That image makes me laugh, too :P

Jade Johanson: Thank you! Sorry for the long wait!

…

Dean couldn't believe his eyes as he stared through the glass. Cas seemed to be doing poorly; his face was grimy, he had obviously lost weight, and he looked exhausted. But it was Cas.

"Let's go!" Sam broke through Dean's stupor as he knocked on the door.

Inside the bakery, the woman sitting with Cas excused herself from the table and opened the door. "I'm sorry," she said sweetly. "But we're closed right now. If you come back at—"

"We're not here for the food."

When Dean didn't elaborate and the woman began figeting, Sam spoke up. "I'm Sam. This is my brother Dean. We just happened to notice that our friend Cas is inside with you. We've been looking for him."

The woman opened her mouth but no sound came out. She closed it.

With perfect timing, Castiel soon came up behind her. "Rosie?" he asked. "What is it?"

Dean cleared his throat. "Hey, Cas."

Upon seeing Dean, Castiel fell to the floor in a faint.

…

Rosie felt very overwhelmed. She and Clarence had been enjoying a nice breakfast together when quickly things began spiraling out of control.

The men at the door—who were not customers, apparently—were looking for someone named "Cas." They claimed he was with her.

Was Clarence "Cas"? And were Sam and Dean the names of the friends looking for him? It sounded plausible enough.

Her suspicions were confirmed when Clarence came up behind her and one of the men (Dean, Rosie guessed) called him Cas.

But then she'd felt his hand brush her arm and heard a thud. Clarence had passed out.

Luckily the taller man had carried Clarence to the couch—Rosie was nowhere near strong enough.

Now, Rosie sat on the couch next to Clarence while the two brothers talked in her kitchen. She could hear snippets of their conversation.

"What did he tell her?" The gruffer, shorter of the two asked. Rosie guessed he was Dean. The name fit him.

"There's no way to know. Not until he wakes up." Sam was pacing; Rosie could tell from his footfalls.

Dean answered too quietly for Rosie to hear.

Sam's response managed to reach her ears. "Yeah, the bunker's probably the safest place for him right now. Especially with Metatron on the loose, not to mention the ones who managed to find vessels."

Rosie scrunched her nose. Metatron sounded a lot like the name of the brother who tricked Clarence. And were Sam and Dean going to take Clarence? She hoped not.

"What's wrong with Cas?"

At Dean's question, Rosie looked down to the unconscious man on her couch. Nothing really seemed wrong—besides his nighmares, but how could the brothers know about those?

Sam's response sounded worried. "The others lost their wings—but Cas fainted. I don't think he'd be able to do that with his grace."

"So not only has he fallen, but he's human."

Rosie herself almost fainted at their words. These two men were obviously mad, and it wasn't safe for them to be hanging around her house.

Stepping into the kitchen, she tried to keep her voice even. "I want you out of my house."

Dean reached a hand into his jacket, but removed it at a look from Sam.

Sam ran a hand through his hair. "We can't leave without Cas."

Rosie had had enough. "His name is Clarence." She reached into her jacket and grasped her phone. "And you two need to go. I'm not letting you take him.

Dean laughed. "Is that what he told you?"

Shooting a look at his brother, Sam stepped backwards. "We're not here to hurt you. But we need to stay."

Rosie pulled her phone out of her pocket and dialed 911 with shaking fingers. The police picked up, and she said, "There are two intruders in my house. I need help. 30s, maybe 40s, both buff men."

The police assured her they'd come, and she said she'd be fine offline, so they hung up.

As Rosie looked up at the brothers smugly, Dean burst out into laughter again. "What does she think she's accomplishing?" he asked Sam snidely.

"Dude, you know that if you were a civilian, you'd do the same." Sam said, and Rosie's breath hitched at the thought that they weren't civilians. Sam continued. "Why are you so uptight? Is it because she's been hanging out with Cas?"

Dean stopped laughing and gave his brother a playful punch. "Bitch."

"Jerk," Sam responded automatically, without bite.

Rosie had no idea what to say, and was relieved when the police showed up and knocked on the door.

"I got this," Dean said to his brother, and he lead the way to the door. Opening it, Dean put on a smile. "Hey, there's been a small misunderstanding," he said to the officer.

Rosie couldn't believe his audacity, and she was rendered speechless.

"Ma'am?" the officer asked after looking at the cheap suits Sam and Dean were wearing. "Was it you who called?"

"It was," Sam interjected. "But we just surprised her. See," he said, pulling out a badge, "I'm Special Agent Gabriel and this is my partner Special Agent Collins."

Dean pulled out a badge too, and Rosie felt her cheeks flame up. She'd called the police on a couple of FEDs?

The officer stood at the doorstep slightly dumbfounded as well.

"Don't beat yourself up about the miscommunication, officer," Dean reassured. "I'm just happy to know you'll come this fast in the case of an emergency. Keepin' the streets safe."

The officer smiled. "Sorry about that, fellows," he said. "I'll see you around."

"Will do," Sam promised as he shut the door.

Sam and Dean both turned to Rosie.

"I didn't know you were FEDs," she said in a small voice.

Dean smiled. "We're not."

…

I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

Sorry if the 911 call was inaccurate—I haven't had any experience with that.

Also, do you think I should kill Rosie off? Or should she enter the world of hunters? Please review!


	7. It's Coming

Once more, I can't thank you enough for the reviews!

Jade Johanson: I hope you enjoy this chapter as well! Your reviews give me the motivation to update asap :D

deadone1013: I'm doing great, thanks :) I just got out of finals, which was horrible, but now I have time to update! Your thoughts on Rosie were great to hear, and I will incorporate them into the story :D I love how many reviews you've left so far; it means a lot!

Z: That dotdotdot was very intriguing :P Thanks for your input about Rosie!

Bookaholic27: I was debating whether to update tonight, and your review tipped the scale! Thank you!

Y'all convinced me. Just so you know, Rosie will NOT be dying!

Enjoy the chapter!

…

Rosie couldn't take the information. She reeled backwards, her bakery spinning around her. So the men weren't FEDs? But they lied to the police?

"Easy there." Sam took a hold of Rosie's arm and led her to a seat at one of the tables. "We don't want you ending up like Cas there."

Rosie laughed a breathy laugh. She tried to take in deep breaths, but it was hard to calm down with two strange liars staring at her.

At Rosie's frightened glance, Dean sat down in a chair. "We're not here to hurt you," he promised. "We're only here to save our friend."

Rosie threw a halfhearted glance at Sam as he sat down as well. "You don't need to save him. He's fine." She felt slightly offended that the brothers didn't think she could take care of Clarence.

Sam furrowed his brow, but Rosie cut him off as he opened his mouth.

"Yeah, so he's a little dirty and has lost weight," she said, guessing that those snippets of information were the reason why Sam and Dean wanted Clarence (or was it Cas?) moved out, "but I've only just taken him in; he was sleeping on the streets a week ago."

"That's not what we're worried about," Sam responded quickly, before Rosie could continue. "It's Cas' brothers who are the real threat."

"The real threat," Dean mused. "Oh, they're the real threat, alright."

…

Castiel came to consciousness seated on a sofa. His head was pounding, but compared to the other ailments that came with humanity, it wasn't too hard to deal with.

 _Look at me,_ Cas thought grimly, _I've become used to living without grace._

The thought of humans brought Cas' mind to Sam and Dean. He had to get them out, before Malachi or Bart—or even Metatron—struck!

As Castiel stood up, words in Enochian brought him to his knees. The angel radio always incapacitated him at the worst times.

 _"They have found him?"_ a voice asked, which Cas identified as Malachi's.

 _"That's what my spies have heard,"_ confirmed Bartholomew's unmistakable tone, dripping with malice. _"And my spies are never wrong."_

 _"We have to take them out."_ Malachi sounded unsure.

There was a pause before Bart spoke again. _"Send in a reaper. I don't want to waste an angel on the Winchesters."_

The rest of their conversation faded to the back of Castiel's mind as he scrambled to his feet and dashed to the room where his friends were speaking.

"Sam! Dean!" he called, wanting to share the news without revealing it to innocent Rosie. "There's a problem!"

Dean was standing ready, with a pistol in his hand, when Cas burst through the door. Sam had a hand in his pocket that was undoubtedly clutching one as well, and he was tensed.

Rosie looked terrified by the hunters' quick reflexes. She scooted her chair back until it hit the wall.

Castiel clutched his head as Enochian blasted through it and dark spots covered his vision. "Bart and Malachi…they know you're here," he said in a gravelly voice, clutching the door frame to keep from falling.

"Are they coming?" Dean asked, switching his gun out for the angel blade he carried.

Cas shook his head. "Reaper," he whispered.

Rosie cocked her head from where she sat. "What did you say? I thought I heard 'reaper' as in Grim Reaper!" Her tone seemed falsely light, as if she hoped to have misheard but didn't think she did.

"I'll take her out; keep her safe," Sam volunteered, but Rosie refused to get up from where she sat.

"We're trying to help you!" Dean called in frustration as he scanned the room for the oncoming threat.

Castiel brought out his own angel blade as well as he attempted to block out Bart and Malachi's laughter from the angel radio. "They think they've won," he growled.

Dean gripped his blade tighter. "Well, they have another thing coming."

"Who's they?" Rosie asked, her voice surprisingly calm considering the circumstances. "Are your brothers coming, Cas?"

Castiel's head whipped over as he looked intently into her eyes. "You know my name." He did not know whether to feel pleased or irritated, but he knew he was scared. Not of Rosie or his name. Of the reaper.

Castiel had never hunted as a human before, and he wondered how Dean and Sam fought through the sheer terror and anticipation that came with a fight.

Sam, seeing that moving Rosie was out of the question, drew his gun. While it wouldn't kill a reaper, it would slow it down. A few seconds was all Dean and Cas needed to finish the job.

Cas, Dean, and Sam stood in formation, spread out to give each other room to fight and to keep the reaper trapped when it came. Rosie stayed sitting in the chair, looking miserable and confused. She twirled a lock of her hair and alternated her gaze from Dean to Sam.

All four of them turned their heads when a knock at the door shattered the pressing silence.

The reaper had come.

…


	8. Stuck

Okay, new plan for you guys. From now on, I will definitely update in at least two weeks. If I decide to end the story, I'll tell you, so if two weeks have not passed, I am still working on the next chapter :)

Thank you all for the reviews! It's great how quickly you review!

deadone1013: I totally know how you feel about needing a super whumped character to be taken care of; I feel the same when I hurt characters-they deserve a break :) And now, get ready for the fight…!

Jade Johansen: Thank you so much! I'm pretty happy that you like Rosie :D

…

"I got the door," Sam said after a tense pause. "She or he will be ready to kill if she sees your angel blades."

Rosie looked from her front-row seat to the tense faces around her. Obviously, this visitor meant trouble.

"The reaper's already ready to kill," Dean complained, but he allowed his brother to walk to the door.

As Sam opened the door hesitantly, Rosie hoped that the person knocking would be just that—a person. Unfortunately, luck wasn't on her side.

The woman who stood on the other side of the door was pretty, with sleek black hair and ruby red lips. Her dark outfit was contrasted by the silver gleam of the angel blade she carried. "Where's Castiel?" she asked, her voice a heavy ring.

Rosie clenched a fist. Nobody would get to Cas, not if she had anything to say about it.

Sam opened his mouth, but the reaper wasn't planning to wait for an answer. As she pushed past Sam, he put his gun to her chest and fired.

The reaper stumbled, and Rosie was surprised to see the hole at her heart was not incapacitating the creature. With a wave of her hand, the reaper sent Sam flying across the room where he fell into the wall with a crunch and landed sprawled out on the floor.

Rosie couldn't tear her eyes off of his blood-soaked body. Had Sam really just flown across the room?

Meanwhile, Dean and Cas came up on either side of the reaper.

The reaper flicked her hand at Dean, pinning him to the same wall where Rosie sat, and she clashed her angel blade with Castiel's.

As an angel, Cas knew he would have been able to take her. She wasn't very skilled. But now, even his angel blade was too heavy for his weak, malnourished arm to carry. Seconds after crossing blades with the reaper, he had to let his clatter to the ground.

Dean too found himself dropping his blade as the reaper pointed a hand in his direction. Satisfied that he was no threat, she pinned Cas against the opposite wall and turned her back on Dean and Rosie.

Rosie slowly stood from the chair, legs shaking.

Dean shook his head at her, unable to do anything from where he was stuck. "Are you crazy?" Dean whispered. "You'll get yourself killed!"

Rosie knew. But she also knew Castiel was in trouble, and he would soon be dead if it weren't for her. "I'm the only one left," she whispered back as the reaper advanced on her friend across the room. "I'm the only one left," she repeated, more for her sake than Dean's.

Quietly, Rosie reached down and picked up the blade Dean had dropped. It was heavier than she'd expected, and it dipped her arm slightly.

 _This is crazy,_ Rosie thought. _I can't kill someone._

Numbly, she moved her feet forward, dreading each step.

By the time she was halfway across the room, Cas spotted her. He tried to keep his eyes off of Rosie so as not to alert the reaper, but Rosie could still see the fear and pain in them.

"You're so much more trouble than you're worth," Rosie could hear the reaper telling Cas as she drew even closer. "I mean, look at you. You're dying! I could be so much useful somewhere else!"

Castiel looked up at the ceiling. "Why don't you let me go, then?" he asked. "I'll still die!"

The reaper ran a finger over her blade. "Well, I'm here now, so I might as well."

When Rosie was a foot away from the…monster, she couldn't get her legs to cooperate. In fact, none of her limbs were responding, she discovered, as she tried to stab the creature.

What had the fake FED called it? A reaper?

Luckily, the reaper or whatever it was had yet to kill Cas. She had chosen instead to slide her blade down Cas' chest, leaving behind gashes and large stains of blood that spread through his white shirt.

Rosie couldn't do it. She couldn't kill the reaper.

 _All your life, you've read books where the unlikely character is the hero. Now's your chance._ Rosie couldn't believe how she was letting the opportunity pass by. She tried to move her arm. It didn't budge.

Cas was beginning to lose consciousness from pain and blood loss, and he slipped down the wall slightly.

The reaper laughed, and Rosie longed to stab her right in the back. But her arm still wasn't working.

"Good-bye," the reaper said as she drew back her arm, readying to stab Cas.

Rosie told herself that it was now or never. _Just…stab the thing! On the count of three. One, two, three!_

But her arm didn't move. Rosie felt helpless tears slip from her face as she saw the reaper's blade move toward Clarence's heart as if in slow motion.

…

Sam slowly stirred, biting back a groan as the movement sent a sharp pain to his leg. It was definitely broken.

He scanned the room in front of him and took stock of the scene. Dean was pinned to the wall, next to Rosie's empty chair, Cas was getting cut up by the reaper, and Rosie was inching towards the reaper with the angel blade in her hands.

Dean's eyes were tightly shut, and it was obvious that he couldn't bear to see Cas get so hurt. Sam couldn't bear it either.

As he looked at Rosie, silently hoping for her to kill the reaper and get it over with, he noticed something was wrong: she wasn't moving. Rosie's chest was heaving up and down with her breaths, but her arms and legs seemed stuck in place.

The reaper obviously was toying with her.

The reaper was toying with Cas too, taking her sweet time to kill him.

Castiel's face was scrunched up in agony as his chest was sliced open, and his face was stark white.

Sam tried to get up to help, but the pain in his broken leg and the wooziness from his head sent him crashing to the ground.

When the reaper drew back her arm to stab Cas, Sam knew it was all over.

It would take a miracle to save him now.

…

Such a cliffhanger!

To clear things up, Rosie is being held in place by the reaper. She's just not against the wall.

Cas will not die, so don't worry! But how will he be saved…?


	9. Gracefully

Thanks for your review, deadone1013! I'm so happy you liked the chapter!

…

As the reaper's blade swished through the air toward's Castiel's chest, Sam lost all hope. Somehow, one simple little reaper had managed to take down two hunters, one ex-angel, and one civilian.

But right as the blade made contact, the door to the bakery burst open. In strode…Metatron?

"Good morning," the old angel said cheerfully, grinning maniacally.

"Metatron," the reaper snarled, turning from Cas to face the Scribe of God. "This does not concern you!"

Metatron stepped through the doorway, and Sam could see the telltale glint of an angel blade poking out of his jacket sleeve. "I think it does. See, you were planning to kill one of my family members."

Sam rolled his eyes. From what he could tell, the new god had tricked Cas and made him lose not just his wings, but his grace as well. Metatron obviously was using the family card to his advantage.

The reaper wasn't buying the story either. She raised her blade, but before she could do anything, Metatron moved.

Quick as a snake, Metatron revealed his angel blade and ran it through the reaper.

Sam noticed that Rosie fainted as life left the reaper, and he was infinitely happier that she hadn't had to kill it herself.

"Hello, Sam and Dean," Metatron smiled, pulling his blade free from the reaper's body. "And hello, Asstiel," he said to Cas, who was hanging on to consciousness against the wall.

Sam watched from the floor as Dean scanned the room for his angel blade, which was at the unconscious Rosie's feet. Freed from the reaper's power, Dean began inching towards it.

"Why are you here?" Sam asked weakly to keep Metatron's attention away from his brother.

"I think Asstiel here can answer you," Metatron said, turning to Cas. "Remember why I let you live?"

Cas nodded weakly as he slipped further towards the floor. "You wanted my story."

"Bravo!" Metatron exclaimed as he turned back to Sam. "But that's not the real reason. You think I need another good story when this world has so many? No, Asstiel here is my informant. Eyes on the street, and all that. His angel radio is superb. I've been watching him."

As Metatron spoke, Dean crept forward to his blade. He reached it without Metatron seeing.

Metatron, caught up in his evil scheme, turned to Castiel. "I still have your grace, you know," he taunted, pulling out a small glass bottle filled with the shimmery item. "If you're good, you'll get it back."

Cas stared at his grace with shock and pain. After living as a human for so long, he was more than ready to not feel once more.

Dean picked the angel blade up and quietly stepped up to Metatron.

Before the Scribe noticed the Hunter's presence, Dean hooked his arm around Metatron's neck and held the blade at his throat. "Give Cas his grace. Now!" Dean barked.

Metatron frowned, and Sam could see him trying to find a way out of the situation. But Dean had him cornered.

From his view on the floor, Sam also saw Rosie sit up, clutching her head. She looked around the room and decided it was best to scoot over to Sam, so she did.

Sam and Rosie sat and watched as Metatron reluctantly placed the grace into Cas' quivering, outstretched hand.

Once he did so, Metatron crossed his arms. "Now release me."

"Who said anything about releasing you?" Dean growled.

He sliced the angel blade across Metatron's throat and pulled out a glass bottle of his own. As the shimmery substance flowed into the bottle from the cut on his neck, Metatron visibly wilted.

"Now you get a taste of your own medicine," Dean said savagely, finally allowing Metatron to leave his grasp.

"You can't do this to me!" Metatron exclaimed, beginning to panic. "I need my grace! Without it, I won't survive!"

"I had to," Cas said from his place on the wall.

Metatron looked at Dean's angry face and realized he'd lost. "Fine!" he yelled. "But you'll regret it!" With that, he stormed out of the bakery.

Once Metatron had gone, Cas unscrewed the lid to his grace and opened his mouth.

As the grace reentered Cas' body, he stood up straight, his eyes glowing a bright blue. The lights flickered, and Sam could see a shadow of Castiel's wings. They were tattered from the Fall, but they were back and still very imposing.

The cuts on Cas' chest disappeared as his grace healed his vessel. He smiled as he felt familiar power coursing through his veins.

Rosie stood up hesitantly from where she sat next to Sam. "You're not a…human?" she asked, voice quivering.

Cas turned his eyes onto her. "I am an angel of the Lord," he said. "And you are the one who gripped me tight and raised me from perdition. Thank you."

"No problem," Rosie said weakly. "Were you an angel this whole time?"

"No," Cas responded. "The other man who came here is the 'brother' I talked about," he said, making air quotes at the word "brother." "He took my angelic grace."

"Was it all a lie?" Rosie asked, tears forming in her eyes. "The story of your family and your nightmares and everything?"

Cas stepped forward and put a hand on her shoulder. "It was all true," he reassured. "I just gave you the human version."

Rosie threw her arms around Cas at his words. "I'm so happy you're safe," she said into his shoulder.

Cas awkwardly put his arms around her as well. "I am glad you are not in trouble as well."

"Well, as sweet as this is," Dean said, putting away his angel blade. "We should probably clean this place up before people start asking questions."

"And can you fix my leg?" Sam asked Cas from the floor.

"Of course," Cas responded, and he placed his hand on Sam's broken leg.

With one touch, it was healed.

…

This is not the end! There will probably be one more chapter to tie up loose ends :)

What did you think? Reviews are always appreciated!


	10. Free

Thank you, deadone1013, for reviewing so much! I can always count on you to comment and give me motivation :D

…

Rosie, Dean, Sam, and Cas all sat at the table in Rosie's bakery after getting the place cleaned up a bit. Rosie fixed a pot of coffee and served it all around.

"Now I want more answers," she said.

Dean groaned, but Castiel smiled. "What do you need to know?" he asked.

Rosie took a sip of her coffee, her mind whirling. She knew that Clarence was Cas and an angel who was kicked out of heaven. She knew other angels just tried to kill him.

There was a lot she still didn't know.

"Are there other monsters, like out in the world?" Rosie asked curiously.

Sam was the one who answered. "Yes, all the kinds of monsters you've read about are real. My brother and I help hunt them."

Something clicked in Rosie's mind, and she felt herself getting a better hold of the situation. "That's why you have fake IDs," she clarified, and Sam nodded.

So there were people in the world you hunted monsters. People who slipped under the sharp gaze of the law. Heroes. Suddenly an idea came to her, but before Rosie could speak, Dean interrupted. "No," he told Rosie sharply. "I know that look, and the answer is no."

Rosie rolled her eyes as Sam laughed. She put her hands on her hips. "Why can't I become a hunter? I can't exactly go back to my old life!"

"Trust me, Rosie," Dean responded, the humor in his voice gone. "You don't want to be in this life. Once you're in, you can't get out."

"How did you two become hunters, then?" Rosie challenged.

Sam took a breath as Dean's face hardened. Obviously something Rosie said had made an impact.

"We had no choice," Sam finally explained tersely. "We were…born into it, as you might say."

"More like forced into it," Dean muttered into his coffee cup.

"C'mon, Cas!" Rosie turned to the angel, knowing she wouldn't be able to convince Sam or Dean. "Can't I be a hunter?"

Castiel pondered the idea. "You may if you wish to," he finally said, ignoring Dean's irritated glance. "You certainly handled our fight well enough."

Sam looked thoughtful. "That's a good point," he admitted. "I mean, you didn't even know monsters existed at that point, did you?"

Rosie shook her head hopefully.

"It will take a lot of researching. You can't go out just expecting to blindly strike something," Sam cautioned.

Rosie felt up to the challenge. Finally she could escape her quiet life and help others as much as possible!

"I'll do it," she said.

She had to.

…

"You have been so kind. I cannot thank you enough," Castiel told Rosie for what had to be the sixth time as they said their good-byes.

"It really was no problem." Rosie looked up at the angel, whose skin was already a healthier tone since getting his grace back. "You sure you'll be alright?"

Cas sighed. "Yes, I will be going to the bunker with Sam and Dean to rest up. It is a very safe place. And now that I have my grace back, I can join once more in the fight against Malachi and Bartholomew."

Rosie smiled as tears dripped down her face, "I'm going to miss you. Maybe one day we can fight alongside each other."

"I look forward to it," Cas smiled back.

"It was very nice meeting you," Sam told Rosie as Cas strode out the door. "Thanks for helping in the fight. You're a natural."

"Thank you," Rosie responded, feeling flattered. "It was great meeting you, too. I was so curious, after Cas told me about you."

Sam grimaced, and Rosie could tell he was wondering exactly what the angel had said about him.

"Well, I hope I lived up to your expectations," he finally said jokingly, but soon turned serious once more. "I'll do what I can to keep Cas safe from now on. The place we're taking him is warded against angels and demons alike. Not even Lucifer could get in without our permission."

"Lucifer, huh?" Rosie mused. "That's amazing. Could I visit you sometime?"

"Absolutely," Sam smiled, and he thanked her once more as he followed the angel outside.

Finally, Dean came forward. During Castiel's and Sam's good-byes he had been hanging back, and Rosie felt uncomfortable. So far, the man hadn't exactly been friendly.

Although, she reasoned, no one would be very friendly after fighting monsters for so long.

But Dean surprised her. When he spoke, there was no mocking or joking in his tone, and his green eyes were sincere. "Thank you," he said seriously. "You took care of Cas before you knew his story or anything about him. You took care of him when Sam and I failed to do so. You saved him. I can never repay that."

Seeing Dean's eyes moisten with tears, Rosie felt her own do the same. She was very touched. "I would do it all over again in a heartbeat," she whispered to him, meaning every word.

Quickly, Dean enveloped Rosie in a hug, and he was gone before she could fully process what had happened.

Rosie watched the three men go, trying not to burst out in tears.

Finally, when their black car had faded from sight, Rosie locked up her bakery and went upstairs.

Opening her computer, she typed "Monster lore" into Google and began to read.

Rosie had a lot to learn.

…

It would be years before Cas would see Rosie again, but he thought of her every day. He thanked her for keeping him alive and giving him hope when he had none. He thanked her for his grace.

Cas eventually overthrew Bartholomew and Malachi, keeping the world peaceful and running smoothly. Before he ended their lives, he told them all about his heroes.

He told the two angels of the friends who had searched for him when he was too stubborn to be found and the stranger who had saved him without thinking twice.

When Castiel next met with Rosie, she was married with two kids and was a part time hunter. She was happy and fulfilled.

If Cas had a chance to go back and keep his grace, he would turn it down. He wouldn't even think twice.

Team Free Will had one new member.

THE END.

…

What did you think?

If you like Destiel, check out my serial killer AU, "My Salvation" :)


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